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Health & Fitness

Keeping Your Home Safe From Intruders

How to Keep Your Home Safe from Intruders

Most people believe that in order to keep their home safe from intruders they need to spend a lot of money on expensive alarms or devices. I can say that keeping your home safe can cost a lot less if you take into consideration a few pieces of advice. There are other things you can do to keep your home safe.

One of the most important things that you need to keep in mind is that an intruder will rarely make a risky move of breaking into a house where they know that someone is home. Most of home break-ins happen when the owners leave home for the weekend or for a long period of time. Hence, some of the best ways to protect your home is to make it seem like somebody's there. So, how do you do this? Here are a few tips:

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·         Don’t advertise that you’re going away. Although you might want to tell everyone at your neighborhood Starbucks that you are going on a long cruise to Greek islands- don’t. You don't know who's listening.

·         Use automatic drape and curtain openers. Instead of closing the drapes around the house and suggesting you’re away, use automatic drape and curtain openers that open at a set moment in the day giving the message that someone’s home.

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·         Light up your home! Use automatic light timers throughout the house or leave the lights on. By using light timers and setting them to turn on and off as if someone’s home you create the illusion of movement from room to room and thus keeping the intruders away.

·         Leave everything in order and great looking. Arrange for someone to mow your lawn, remove snow from your walks, throw away the trash, and even pick up your newspaper. By keeping everything up to date the message you send is that you’re home and burglars will avoid breaking in.

·         Turn the phone ringer volume off and even forward your calls when you are away. Some intruders use this method to check if someone’s home or not.

·         Don't post on social media such as facebook that you will be leaving to go on vacation. When you get back you can go crazy posting all your pictures!

·         Tell trusted neighbors that you will be away so they can pick up any newspaper, deliveries or mail you are receiving. Leave a key and contact number with them so they can reach you in case of emergency

·         Leave cars in the driveway or in a assigned parking space.

·         Do not leave house keys under doormat, in your mailbox or under flower pot.

·         Keep all windows and doors locked.

These are things that keep you and your family safe for less money. Stay safe!

Ellen Moyer, Residential Realtor with RE/MAX Allegiance     www.ellenmoyer.com

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